Gate latch



June 9, 1953 A. E. BURRls 2,641,494

GATE LATCH Filed Sept. 7, 1949 2 Sheets-Shoe?I 1 INVENI QR ATTCI RN EYB June 9, 1953 A. E. BURRIS GATE LATCH Filed Sept. '7, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN OR.

ATTURN EYS Patented June 9, `1953 UNITED STATES `PATENT QFFICE GATE LATCH AllenV Eugene Burris, Sabinal, Tex.

Application September 7 1.949, Serial No.711`4,365

3 Claims.

This invention relates to latches for gates and particularly farm gates, barn doors, and-the like, and in'particular includes a latch having la pin receiving groove positioned between upper and lower guides with beveled surfaces leading to the groove and with a sliding trigger positioned to retain a pin in the groove.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a latch that readily snaps to the closed position for retaining a pin therein and which may readily be manually actuated to release the pin.

Various types of latches have been provided for holding farm gates, doors, and the like in closed positions but it is diicult to provide a latch that may be relied upon to automatically lock over a pin or latch element as the gate is closed and in which vthe gate may readily be released. With this thought in mind this invention contemplates a latch in which a pin on a gate lpasses directly into a pin receiving groove be- ,tween two guide elements and in which the pin Aa gate latch that automatically snaps to the closed position and that may be readily manually released which is of a simple and economical oonstruction.

With these and other objects and advantages in view the invention embodies a latch for gates and the like having a pair of outwardly extended guides mounted on a base plate with a trigger having a nger gripping ring on the upper end slidably mounted in the guide, and a pin positioned to pass into a slot between the guides and actuate the trigger to the locking position.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a. front elevational view showing the latch in the closed position with parts of a gate and gate post illustrated in combination therewith and with parts broken away.

Figure 2` is a side elevational view of the latch as illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical section through the latch 2 Y takenon lines 3-3of Figure 1 showing the latch elements in the locking position.

Figure 4 is a similar section showing the trigger of the latch in the released position,

Figure 5 is a detail showing a side elevational view of the trigger.

Figure 6 is a view showing view of the trigger.

Figure 7 is a viewlooking upwardly toward the lower end of the trigger.

Figure 8 is a vertical section through the latch structure taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1, looking in the opposite directionv and with the movable element removed.A

Figure 9 is a cross section through the base plate of the latch taken on line 9-9 of Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a similar section taken on Ill-I0 of Figure 8. l

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts the improved gate latch of this invention includes a base plate I0 having upper and lower guides II and I2, respectively, extended outwardly therefrom, a trigger I3 and a tubular pin I4.

The base plate IIJ is formed particularly as illustrated in Figures 1 and 8 with the guides II and I2 formed thereon and extended outwardly therefrom. The guide ll is channel shaped in cross section having an upper web I5 with side iianges I6 and I7 extended downwardly therefrom and the lower edges of the anges I6 and I1 slope upwardly from a point I8 providing inclined front pin guiding surfaces I9. The web I5 is provided with an elongated opening 20 to receive the trigger mounting elements and a flange 2| is provided at one side of the web leaving a slot 22 through which the plate 23 of the trigger I3 slides. A pin 3 is positioned in the guide and mounted in the flanges I6 and I1 after the'trigger I3 has been installed-in the latch, and as shown in Figure 4, the pin 3 limits upward movement of the trigger.

The lower guide VI2 includes a horizontally disposed web 24 which slopes downwardly from an open slot or groove 25 and provides a sloping or inclined surface 26 upon which the pin I4 rides as it enters the latch.

This guide is alsochannel shape in cross section having sides 21 and 28 with a slot 29 for the plate 23 of the trigger, and a slot 30 for an outwardly extended iiange'3l of the trigger is provided in the web 24. A guide partition 32 extends outwardly from the side 28 to retain the lower edge of the trigger base in the guide. The lower edge 33 of the side 28 of the lower a front elevational guide I2 extends upwardly as shown in Figure 8 and the lower edge 34 of the side 21 extends straight across, and an opening 35 is provided in the inner part thereof which is positioned to register with an opening 36 in -the flange 3I of the trigger so that the trigger may be locked in the downward or loc-king position, by inserting the bale of a lock through the openings 35 and 36. The sides IB and I'I of the upper guide I I are provided with openings 31 and 38 in which the pin 3 is mounted.

The trigger I3 is slidably mounted in the guide through the plate 23 and the upper end of the plate 23 is provided with an eye 39 by which rthe trigger may be raised to release the pin I4.V The lower end of the trigger normally engages the shoulder 40 on the base plate I0.l The trigger member has a notch 48 therein which has a lip portion 49 extended downwardly therefrom to form a hook portion adapted to receive the tubular pin I4. The beveled surface 4I extends upwardly from the lowermost portion of vthe flip member. In the normal position, the beveled surface 4I of the trigger is located in the slot 25 so that it is adapted to be engaged by the tubular pin I4. When the tubular pin I4 strikes the beveled surface 4I of the trigger, the trigger is moved upwardly to permit the pin to enter the slot and engage behind the lip' portion of the notch in the trigger member.

The base plate I0 of the latch may be bolted to a post or to the side of a barn or other building, as indicated by the numeral 42 by bolts 43 and the pin I4 may be mounted on a gate 44, or the like through a base member 45 with bolts 46 and 41.

It will be understood that modifications may be made in the design and arrangementy Yof the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A gate latch comprising a base plate,an upper and lower guide arranged in spaced apart relation adapted to receive a pin therebetween. each of said guides having an upper and lower portion, said guides extending from one side of said base plate, the upper portion of said upper guide including a web and the lower portion of said upper guide having an inclined guiding surface, 'said web being provided with an elongated opening to receive a trigger, there being registering slots in said upper and lower guides, said trigger including a plate slidably positioned in said slots, flanges on said guides arranged contiguous to said slots for guiding said trigger, the upper portion of the lower guide including a web, andhaving an inclined guiding surface, the said inclined guiding surfaces extending inwardly toward each other from the outer ends of the upper and lower guides, said trigger being provided with a notch having a lip portion extending downwardly therefrom to form a hook portion adapted to receive a pin, there being a beveled sur-face on the trigger extending upwardly from the lowermost portion of the lip portion so that saidpin strikes the beveled surface to move'the trigger upwardly to permit the pin to engage behind the lip portion ofthe trigger.

2. The apparatus as described in claim 1, and further including a pin mounted in said upper guide for limiting upward movement of said trigger.

3. The apparatus as described in claim l, and further including an eye member mounted on the upper end of said trigger for raising said trigger.

ALLEN EUGENE BURRIS.

References Cited n the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 87,065 Redhead Feb. 16, 1869 Y 521,045 Rohrbach June 5, 1894 1,177,487 Clements Mar. 28, 1916 1,297,221 Mikkelsen ,Mar. l'l, 1919 

